Dialysis
It’s been a very long time since I wrote here a lot of things have definitely changed for the, well, worse. But I remain standing (or sitting) anyway once again.
In August of this year, my CKD was stable and my labs were actually looking good after a couple of months of blood transfusions and iron infusions.
Then all of a sudden I got this incredible pain in my legs. So bad on a Saturday morning when I woke up — I couldn’t walk. I literally couldn’t walk. They continued to hurt and were swollen and I called my docs who said go to the ER. I didn’t want to, knowing they’d admit me and I am always worried about my dogs. So, I continued to work that week. Friday I just couldn’t take the pain any longer so I took my happy ass to the ER, That was September 4th.
One of my nephrologists came rushing in with some surgeon and said that I needed emergency dialysis. That I didn’t have a choice and that it couldn’t be done later then began shoving things in my face to sign and the next thing I know I am having a needle shoved into the side of my neck and this surgeon is slicing my neck to install a catheter for dialysis to begin. I cried and it was painful in spite of the analgesic they shot into me. Dialysis itself was shockingly boring when they finally hooked me up to the giant machine. The realization of tubes being in my neck was a constant issue I was having and it bothered me a lot and totally fucking freaked me out. It still does. *shivers*
Home dialysis has been rough. My bedroom looks like a hospital room and the amount of stuff you need for dialysis at home is insane.
That’s my new life.
Oh the strange existence of being at the mercy of the practice of medicine. It’s a sifting of sorts as you find yourself having less in common with most. Isolation tends to take hold, and the circumstances of today’s world only magnify those feelings. I pray you have a solid support system. I’d always read about people with these large groups of family and friends lavishing emotional, physical, and financial support on those dealing with a health crisis, I myself never experienced such a thing, and viewed those people as unicorns. I’m rooting for you. An old Scottish phrase, “What’s meant for ya, won’t go by ya,” always rings true for me.
@hellointhereThank you for your lovely notes and words. No, unfortunately for me I really don’t have a close network of friends nor family to help me through this. I have loads of internet friends and they help. But no one near me and my family has always, well, sucked. I am at the mercy of myself and myself alone.
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Stay in there. Be strong. ☺
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I have CKD too, I’ll in the 3rd phase. This all happened after Covid hit. Nausea, diarrhea, up unable to sleep, increased frequency of voiding during. The night and Restless leg Syndrome.  I am on a plant based diet now.
@nativewoman sounds a lot like my life. It’s great. I learned, finally, that diabetes causes nerve damage in your stomach and paralyzes portions of it. That’s why we are so nauseous and vomit a lot. Small comfort but it was finally good to know why I have these issues. I also finally received yet another medication to help with the restless legs. Requip. 🙂 Maybe that will work for you too?
@melancholy_1 – I GOT my Requip about 2 weeks ago, 0.5 mg and I take 2 about 2 hours before bed. My pre-diabetic status is now still pre-diabetic.  A1C was 5.7 this time. I bought all kinds of supplements that CKD patients should be on, but they did nothing for me. I will eliminate cheese, it’s the only thing that I had as dairy. Going to try to eliminate dairy except for cottage cheese and an egg twice a week. It’s the headaches, the nausea, muscle fatigue.  And I have to eat less meat.
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